This invention relates to golf gloves having cooperating guide pads to insure proper gripping of a golf club. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved pair of golf gloves having elongated guide pads of differing lengths disposed on the palm portions of each respective glove. Each guide pad urges the distal, gripping end of a golf club to nest adjacent the knuckles of each hand in a proper grip, aligning the distal end of the golf club within the golfer's hands.
Various attempts have been made to modify a conventional golf glove to improve a golfer's grip on the club. Several types of golf gloves have been developed wherein one or more pads are formed on the finger or palm portion of a single golf glove in order to urge the golf club gripping portion into proper grip alignment in the hand. Some of these gloves are known to incorporate padding on the palm portion of the glove to assist in the proper grip of a golf club. Examples of these gloves are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,903 to Swanson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,271 to Moroney; U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,999 to Nunn; U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,741 to Bach; U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,292 to Strickler; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,367 to Lappley.
It is also known in the art to have a golf glove that contains a visual indicator which assists in the proper grip of the golf club grip. Examples of these indicators are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,874 to Elkins; U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,547 to Minnick; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,214 to St. Ville.
However, there are still problems commonly encountered in playing golf that are not addressed by the gloves of the prior art. A problem with visual indicators is that they do not automatically position the hands in the correct position, nor allow for the feel of the club in the hand to govern slight variances in position. The golfer, when using such a visual indicator, must distract himself from the ball, the course, maintaining a proper stance, etc. in order to view and align the golf club gripping portion in line with the indicator. And, while swinging, the visual indicator is incapable of keeping the proper grip through the swing.
One of the problems with existing padded golf gloves is that only one glove is configured to establish a proper golf grip, leaving the second hand without any guidance. Use of two of the prior art golf gloves, if at all feasible, results in the pads impinging upon one another or otherwise failing to adjust for a two-handed grip. There is a great need for either a cooperating pair of golf gloves or for a single golf glove adapted for use on a second hand when used in conjunction with a first conventional golf glove having some pad arrangement.